


University Blues

by MilfShakes



Series: Bugburbia AU [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Ghost is mute and uses asl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21912778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilfShakes/pseuds/MilfShakes
Summary: Ghost is in culinary school while Quirrel is a graduate student hoping to become a scientist. The long work days paired with their studies is very hard on these best friends/ roommates.tbh the most unrealistic thing about this fic is that Ghost can pay their rent and tuition with a part time job lmao.
Relationships: The Knight & Quirrel (Hollow Knight)
Series: Bugburbia AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578295
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	University Blues

When you’re as short and as cute as Ghost, it is  _ extraordinarily _ easy to get tips. 

But it is also extraordinarily difficult to get people to take you seriously. 

“Aww look! You’re wearing a widdle bowtie, how cute.” Coos the elderly customer, as if she were speaking to an infant. 

The short vessel ignores her comment and sets a glass of water down in front of her.

(Do you know what you want to order, or do you need more time?) Ghost’s fingers spin the words with forced politeness. 

“Oh wow, you already learned how to speak sign language! You must be so smart!” 

A pause.

(Do you know what you want to order, or do you need more time?) Repeats Ghost.

“Oh well, I think I’ll have the pancakes, and a coffee.”

(One order of pancakes and a coffee, anything else?)

“No thank you dearie, take your time.” She smiles warmly and hands them her menu.

Taking after their father, Ghost’s horns grew a great deal and their body barely grew at all. It would suffice to say their “prime form” wasn’t what they’d hoped for. But it is what it is, thinks Ghost, no point dwelling on it.

The short vessel sits down for a coffee after bringing the latest orders to the kitchen. Black with one packet of sugar, just like always. 

The Honeycomb Waffle house has been Ghost’s place of work for about three years now. They didn’t love it, but it paid the bills and their tuition. They were so close to graduating they could almost taste it, then they could stop waiting tables and start preparing the food, maybe run their own restaurant someday. 

A sharp ring of the kitchen bell snaps Ghost out of their daydream, two plates piled high with piping hot pancakes thunk onto the counter. They let out a heavy sigh, producing two strong void tendrils to grab the orders. The breakfast rush goes by as usual, mounds of pancakes drizzled with syrup, the loud idle chatter of customers in the background, the obligatory demeaning comments Ghost ought to be used to by now. It’s easier to swallow their pride when they collect the hefty tips from each table. They leave the restaurant around noon, sweaty and exhausted. And they still have two classes to get through before the day is over.

\-------

Ghost stands up straight in surprise to see Quirrel got home first, he’s slumped over on the couch, not asleep, just sitting there staring blankly at the floor. 

Their shared apartment is humble, to put it nicely. The two friends did their best to make the studio look homey and inviting, incorporating as many nice houseplants and fairy lights as possible. But sharing a small studio apartment with bunk beds and a tiny kitchen and bathroom feels rather cramped for two working bugs. 

The short vessel hangs their backpack on a hook near the door, taking a laptop out of it before entering the living room. They figure they won’t get any less tired as the day goes by and plop down on the couch next to Quirrel to start their homework. 

“Hey.” Croaks Quirrel, eyes empty and cheeks shallow. 

(Why are you home so early?) 

Quirrel laughs weakly, rubbing his temples. “Ah well, I didn’t come home last night, we had a lot of work to do in the lab.” 

(Oh my god Quirrel go to bed!!!) Exclaims Ghost, practically shoving their fingers in his face.

“Can’t, I tried-” He pushes his friend away, sighing heavily. “I don’t know, I think my internal clock has just been totally fucked this semester.” 

Ghost stares at him for a moment, the void behind their mask churning with worry.

(Don’t go anywhere.)

Quirrel laughs weakly, and his roommate hops off the couch, abandoning their laptop. The homework can wait for now. 

Ghost lifts themselves up on long void tendrils, scouring the kitchen cabinets for what they need. Honey, lemon, and their special stash of sleepytime tea that Hornet gave them. They set the kettle on the stove to boil, and wait patiently for it to start whistling. 

“Ghost, you don’t have to do this, I’m used to not sleeping. Grad students have to be haha…” 

The vessel ignores him, but his words really get under their skin. What Quirrel has to do every day is nothing short of inhumane. From what Ghost can tell, the perfect grad student is a bug with no needs, one that doesn’t need water or food or bathroom breaks or sleep. And they had to be happy about it too, happy about having the opportunity to become a scientist and run their own lab, like Quirrel wanted to someday. Ghost really hopes it’s worth it for their dear friend, that his future job will fulfill him in a way that makes up for everything he lost to get there.

Finally the kettle whistles, snapping Ghost out of their seething. They pour hot water into Quirrel's favorite mug, and watch the clear water stain orange as tea seeps from the teabag. After a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon it’s ready, and the little vessels pushes the steaming mug into their friend’s tired fingers. 

(Drink this and go to bed, it works every time.) 

“Thank you.” He smiles at them, it makes the bags under his eyes bunch up. He blows on it a few times before taking a careful sip. 

“Ah, this is really good, thank you friend.” 

Ghost wishes they could smile at him, instead they just sit back down on the couch and give him a few comforting pats on the shoulder. Just as they expected Quirrel gets drowsy after a few minutes, and before long he’s snoring on the bottom bunk bed. Ghost lets out a silent, relieved sigh and gets back to their homework. Pale artificial light illuminates their mask as the laptop turns on. 

Ghost and Quirrel would graduate around the same time. And as they sit there, exhausted and weary from a long day they tell themselves that they just have to hang on for a few months and everything will be better.

At least they hope it will. 


End file.
